La Salle’s dynamic duo of Khalil Brantley and Jhamir Brickus are ‘fire and ice’ on the court

Khalil Brantley and Jhamir Brickus are La Salle’s most dynamic and experienced players.

The duo have different playing styles. The junior Brantley is full-go no matter the moment, while the senior Brickus plays at a patient pace. Coach Fran Dunphy created a nickname for the two: “Fire and Ice.”

Both agreed that “Fire and Ice” best describes their personalities. Brickus is selective with his words. Brantley is outspoken.

Despite their differences, they’re good friends with the same goals. They want to guide the Explorers back to relevance in the Atlantic 10 and compete for a conference title.

“He might not yell at you, but he’ll tell you in a way that he knows how to,” Brantley said of Brickus. “But me, I might come off a little more aggressive. We’ve got the same message.”

Brickus added: “We know whatever we say is important. Both of our voices are important, there’s not one higher than the other.”

Brantley and Brickus had strong seasons last year for the Explorers. Brantley, who hails from the Bronx, N.Y., led the team in points (14.3 ppg), assists (4.1), steals (1.6), and minutes (33.7). Brickus, a Coatesville native, averaged 9.8 points in 32.8 minutes and shot 47.3% percent from the field.

“I feel like the takeaway I have most from last year is resiliency,” Brantley said.

Now an upperclassman, Brantley has more responsibility than his past two seasons. Sometimes, the fiery Brantley lets his emotions affect him too much on the floor. He’ll get down on himself, and his teammates.

“A lot of these younger guys coming in are going to be looking up at me because I’ve been here, and I’ve [done] it,” Brantley said. “The toughest thing for me right now is coming to work and being the same person every day.

“I’m ‘Fire,’ so I’ve got to come with the energy and be intentional about it because every day. I may not be having a good day, but once I step in between those lines, I’ve got 14 other dudes that I have to think about. It’s not just about myself and what I’m going through.”

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He’s up for the challenge and can rely on Brickus for help. Brickus prizes accountability and how critical it is in keeping a team together.

“What I took from the past leaders is being able to hold other people accountable,” Brickus said. “A person who brings it every day, who’s loud, making everybody around them better, and a person who just communicates.”

Their long-running friendship led Brantley to 1900 West Olney Ave. They began competing against each other on the AAU circuit in middle school and continued through high school.

The constant clashes led to a mutual respect for the other’s game. They are smaller guards and could relate to each other more, understanding the doubts cast on them and the work necessary for them to play Division I ball.

Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Brantley from visiting schools during his recruitment, he reached out to Brickus, a first-year guard for La Salle at the time.

Their phone call was simple: How are classes, how’s campus, what’s the team like. But Brickus took an extra step because he wanted to play with Brantley.

“‘Me and you will play well off each other,’” Brantley recalled Brickus saying. “He was like, all the off-the-court stuff you wouldn’t have to worry about. I’ll make sure you know different spots to go to for food or anything, just all the off-the-court stuff he really took care of, and I appreciate him for that.”

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It’s their bond off the court that has made them the “Killer Bs,” a name color commentator and former La Salle head coach John Giannini gave them during the Explorers’ Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinal run last season.

They lived together for two years, and their bond became brotherly. Now, living separately, they only bark at each other through a microphone when playing video games instead of through their apartment.

“We enjoy each other,” Brantley said. “He will always be my brother till the day I die. That connectivity off the court is a tremendous help on the court.”

Their connectivity gives them the confidence to lead and be themselves on the floor.

Brickus and Brantley feel they need to anchor the defense and set the tone by pressuring other guards, which is something the Explorers didn’t do enough of last season. They’ll once again be the offensive catalysts as well.

They both know the Explorers will go as far as the “Killer Bs” will take them.

“I’m looking to go out as a winner,” Brickus said. “So anything that involves winning, I’m going to do.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.